Today's news

SHORTCHANGED: The NAACP, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities file a complaint against Hillsborough schools, saying students with disabilities are mistreated in the system. A similar complaint was filed against Palm Beach schools, the Palm Beach Post reports. (Times photo, Melissa Lyttle)

RESOLVED: Leaders of Mavericks in Education say they've fixed the problems that Hernando district officials listed in the group's charter school application.

THINK TWICE: Naming a new high school in Brandon "Strawberry Crest" could doom its athletic program to laughingstock status, columnist Ernest Hooper writes. "Who's going to be the mascot, Strawberry Shortcake?

WHO'S ON THE BUS? Public transit use in Hillsborough is on the rise, with school students riding along workers to get to their destinations.

MEMORIALIZED ON FILM: Hillsborough High, the county's oldest public high school, is featured in a new documentary that debuts Saturday at the school.

BE SAFE: New student orientation at Santa Fe College now includes lessons like how to barricade yourself into a classroom if a gunman is on campus, the Gainesville Sun reports.

AROUND THE NATION: Wachovia Bank has limited access to the accounts of nearly 1,000 colleges and universities, putting their payrolls in jeopardy, the NY Times reports. New York schools will start to measure teacher performance by student test results, but not use the information in evaluations and pay decisions, the NY Times reports. A California school district has unbanned the popular Twilight book series after initially removing them, the AP reports. Many superintendents hold doctorate degrees, but some experts question the value, the Washington Post reports.

About the blog

Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.